Posts with the tag “lent”

To what do you cling? Psalm 63 invites us to reflect on where we find security and sustenance when we are desperate, disillusioned, or in danger. Yes, we need food, water, and shelter. Yes, we need community that protects us when we feel threatened and alone. Yet underneath these basic needs is something even more necessary: God. As you listen to U2’s “Light of Home,” consider: “When you are surro...  Read More

This would make a good study to do alone or with a small group. The Lord shall keep me safeThe LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh-- my adversaries and foes-- they shall stumble and fall.Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against ...  Read More

Like many of us, the writer of Psalm 27 knows trouble, as does Jesus when he is confronted by the Pharisees attempting to scare him into being quiet or, at the very least, getting out of town (Luke 13:31). Yet both the psalmist and Jesus do an odd thing when faced with threats: they stay the course. They refuse to be swallowed up and swayed by fear. Instead, they root themselves in God, whose stea...  Read More

Create a growing paper chainAs we begin this Lenten season, let’s focus on where we see God in our daily lives. To serve as a visual reminder of God's unwavering presence, we can create a paper chain, adding a new link each day. I encourage you and your children to write on each link where you saw God that day. At Vacation Bible School, we call these “God sightings.”On Day 1 of Lent (Ash Wednesday...  Read More

You can see and listen to the whole Lenten playlist here: Before Ash Wednesday service tonight, I will sing "Fix You" as a prelude. You can imagine the words as if from God to you, or from one person to another.How do those different perspectives affect the meaning or feeling of the song?Are there some words that are more fitting with one perspective than another?What does it mean "to fix"? And ho...  Read More

Ash Wednesday begins our Lenten journey, and it can be – needs to be – both an individual and a corporate experience.  Read More

A playlist? For the season of Lent? A Lenten playlist? What an odd idea. Lent is often seen as a somber and even silent season. Certainly, there is space for contemplation, for embracing the quiet, for being still to seek out God. Many of us, however, find music a helpful tool for contemplation. So, we offer this playlist as another tool for your worship experience this season. We chose a song for...  Read More